Opinion: Letter to the Editor: What’s Good For the Country

As someone who has lived in Fairfax County for the entirety of their life, the article ”Advocating for Immigrant Protection” [Nov. 7] struck me deeply. While my own experiences within the county have certainly been diverse, hearing that the prevalence of ICE is a controversial issue surprised me greatly. Obviously, with this particular issue, there is a large division.

While both sides of the discussion hold extremely valid points, I believe the real problem within this issue is an individualistic mindset. What I mean by this is that for every person involved in this debate, the focus of each individual is on what best serves their needs. I firmly believe that for any change to occur within this issue, individuals should abandon this mindset and focus on the good of the county’s population as a whole.

Certainly, we must also consider that this issue afflicting our county is a mirror image of the raging debate upon immigration at the national level. While I do believe this is an issue that will plague our country for the majority of our existence, the simplest steps towards resolution cannot be completed without abandonment of personal or party agendas, much like in our county.

Finally, while this is a pressing issue with regards to security, it can serve as a reminder to act as members of the global community first, and local communities second, as this is an opportunity to consider our fellow neighbor and do right by him.